2 days agowar on povertyNearly 60 years later, what is the legacy of Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty? Fifty-eight years ago, Lyndon B. Johnson took a helicopter to the small, rundown Kentucky town of Inez in the heart of coal country. The landing field reserved for the president was an abandoned miniature…Poverty2 min read
Jun 22Where the best ideas come fromSeveral weeks ago, the chairman of Illinois Policy Institute’s board, John Tillman, called me with a new idea. It was clear. It was simple. It was brilliant. I asked how he came up with it. “I thought of it in the shower,” he said. …Illinois2 min read
Jun 15quiet dignityMother Cabrini rode the same “L” train as we do today. She walked our streets. Situated just across the street from North Pond in Lincoln Park is an ultra luxury high-rise. Passersby may assume that’s all there is to the building — but 2520 N. Lakeview Ave. has a much…Religion3 min read
Jun 8winning while losingHistory often tells a different story than the narrative we create in the moment. Last week, I had dinner with Ben Schreiner at his home in Camden, South Carolina. Ben has gray hair and the strong chin line of a 20-year-old football player. We stood on the porch of his…Illinois3 min read
Jun 1about timeLast month I made a phone call to an attorney to start drawing up my will. Last month I made a phone call to an attorney to start drawing up my will. There is nothing wrong with me. But as my wife has informed me, “It’s about time.” As…Charity3 min read
May 18I was wrongI’ve changed my views on human dignity. I no longer think it is a good thing. In fact, it’s dangerous. Here’s why: the definition of dignity has changed. It’s being used to harm people. The way dignity is used today is something like, “Every person is born with an inherent…Dignity4 min read
May 111+1=3That sounds like some pretty bad math. And at one point in my life, I would have argued it was impossible. 1+1 can never equal 3. But the more time I spend working at the Illinois Policy Institute, the more I am convinced that this is not bad math. …Illinois4 min read
May 4Saturday Special: What’s so impressive about Big Ben?For over a decade, I was certain the famous London-based clock was inexplicably located off the highway in southeastern Wisconsin. I was scrunched in the middle seat of a Ford Taurus station wagon. I sat between my older brother and sister on a family road trip that took us through…Illinois3 min read
Apr 20Standing room onlyToo many people are too uninformed and too misinformed about what they believe. Last weekend, I walked into church 15 minutes early and our family squeezed into one of the few remaining pews. I looked around at a packed church with over 2,000 people attending Mass. Worshippers spilled into walkways…Church3 min read
Apr 13An answer to prayersIt gives people dignity. It provides them a purpose. It surrounds them with people who will love and support them. 70% of people with disabilities will never have a job. When it comes to a severe cognitive disability, such as autism, 95% are unemployed. So when Randy Lewis’ son, Austin…Illinois3 min read
